We recently went on a trip to Gadgets in Style’s store over at Edsa Shangri-La where they showed and gave us a demo of their top 5 home theater speakers and audio equipment. We thought we’d give you the low-down on their features and packages just in case you’re planning to upgrade your entertainment room.
Below is Gadget in Style’s top 5 home theater systems arranged from the most affordable to the most expensive.
5. JBL SB350 sound bar with subwoofer
All the necessary buttons are up top and are ligned up neatly.
JBL has been around for quite some time now providing audio solutions that are of good quality with affordable price points. The SB350 is their new sound bar which is now available only in Gadgets in Style. According to their staff, other stores are still on their way to acquiring this model. In addition, the bar can be mounted to a wall so it’s versatile enough to blend into any kind of setup.
The JBL SB350’s wireless subwoofer is mainly a “support” for the sound bar and is a bit underwhelming.
Sound Quality
Based on our experience, sound bars usually have powerful mids and highs with a subwoofer supporting the system. This was the case with the SB350. Its mid-high levels are warm and clear, while its virtual surround sound feature does its job pretty well. Bass is good, however we thought that it could still use some more oomph.
JBL SB350 specs and features:
2x 2.25-inch full range drivers
1.25-inch dome tweeter
6.5-inch wireless subwoofer
Total amplifier power: 320W max
Frequency range: 45Hz – 20kHz
Maximum SPL: 100dB
Harman Display Surround mode
Dolby Digital Decoding
Harman Volume
Bluetooth
Price: Php22,990
See product listing here for full details.
4. Onkyo HT-R558 receiver with 5.1 speakers
The Onkyo receiver is an audio receiver that processes the sound before it comes out of the speakers. Users can also tweak the settings here.
Japanese company Onkyo specializes in home cinema and audio equipment. What we have here is the Onkyo HT-R558 receiver with its set of 5.1 surround speakers made by the same brand.
Sound Quality
While playing music, we initially noticed that the subwoofer gave strong bass which was confirmed later on when we used it for watching a movie. Its set of surround speakers, although small, produced good sound during the test. Our only gripe was that the bass naturally overpowers the mids and highs, but this should be fixed with a little tweak using the receiver.
The main speakers, though small in size, give off serious sound at impressive levels.
Onkyo HT-R558 receiver specs and features:
100W per channel (5 ohms, 1kHz, 1% THD, 1 channel driven, IEC)
4x HDMI inputs, 1x output
5x composite video inputs and 2x outputs
3x digital audio inputs (2 digital/1 coaxial)
6x analog audio inputs and 1x output
Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD High-Resolution Audio Decoding
Direct Digital Connection of iPod/iPhone via front panel USB port
Double Bass function
HDTV-capable (720p/1080i)
Full-function IR remote control
Price: Php31,990 (set including the speakers)
See product listing here for full details.
3. JBL SB400 sound bar with subwoofer
The SB400’s 8-inch woofer is larger than SB350’s 6.5-inch, making the entire system bass-heavy.
Another item from JBL is the SB400. This sound bar is pretty much similar to the SB350 with its dual 2.25-inch midrange cones but with a tad bit smaller high-frequency transducer. It also has a Bluetooth-powered subwoofer and a familiar design language.
Sound Quality
If the SB350 has good mids and highs, the SB400 has bass as its headliner. Its wireless woofer reproduces lows with little to no distortion even at full volume. If we were to nitpick, a bit of a downer here is the highs – which sounded a bit tin-y during our brief time with it. Nevertheless, it’s got the same virtual surround sound feature which throws the sound all around you while Bluetooth connectivity is present for streaming music from your phone.
Navigation is the same for the SB400. Up top you have the controls for volume, source, and Bluetooth.
JBL SB400 specs and features:
2x 2.25-inch mid-range drivers
1x 1-inch high-frequency driver
Amplifier power: 60W max per channel
8-inch down-firing wireless subwoofer
Amplifier power: 200W max
Dolby Digital Decoding
Bluetooth
Harman Display Surround technology
Price: Php32,990
See product listing here for full details.
2. Harman Kardon Sabre SB35 sound bar with subwoofer
Harman Kardon’s
Here’s another sound bar but this time it’s from Harman Kardon. The Sabre SB35 is one sleek bar made of 8 independent channels of performance-tuned drivers and one slim subwoofer capable of being wall-mounted that complements the thinness of the 32mm aluminum sound bar.
Sound Quality
Harman Kardon has already established its name through its quality products so it’s no longer a surprise that their speakers sound wonderful. The SB35 has a balanced method of reproducing sound – with the right punch of mids, clear highs, and powerful lows through its thin-profiled woofer. The mids are especially commendable as they lead the entirety of the sound with rich textures.
At just 32mm, the soundbar ends with a thin, aluminum edge that looks good in any set up.
Harman Kardon Sabre SB35 specs and features:
Frequency range: 43Hz – 22kHz
Maximum SPL: 104dB
4x mid-range drivers @ 20W
4x high-range drivers @ 15W
100W wireless bass reflex subwoofer
1x HDMI port
Bluetooth
Price: Php50,990
See product listing here for full details.
1. Infinity 5.1 speakers with Harman Kardon 171 receiver
The twin towers are your main front speakers while the two smaller bookshelf speakers are used for surround. You also have the large center speaker just above the Harman Kardon receiver.
Want to go for a full-on home theater set up? You won’t go wrong with tower speakers with a dedicated receiver to ensure full immersion while watching your movies. The 5.1 Infinity speakers combine altogether to give off impressive sound reproduction, while Karman Hardon receiver ensures that you have good balance whether watching movies or even just playing music.
Sound Quality
Heart-thumping lows, soulful mids, and crisp highs — that’s what we experienced when this set up showed off what it could do. There are no virtual surround sound here. All you get is active surround speakers that effectively puts you in the middle of whatever it is you’re watching — an auditory journey worth writing home about.
Harman Kardon 171 receiver specs:
Seven 100-watt-per-channel amplifiers with high-performance digital power supply
Apple AirPlay, Bluetooth, DLNA 1.5 technology
HARMAN TrueStream technology
6x 3D-ready HDMI inputs with one with MHL and two HDMI outputs
Dual subwoofer outputs
Multiroom system with assignable amplifier
Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master AudioTM decoding
EzSet/EQ III auto-calibration
HARMAN GreenEdge technology
vTuner (Internet radio) streaming
Multi-device, programmable/learning remote control
Harman Kardon remote app for compatible iOS
and Android smartphones and tablet
See product listing here for full details.
Note: We were able to test out each set of speakers only for a few minutes while we were at the store. Verdict may change during prolonged use.
Gadget in Style’s store, located at the 6th floor of Edsa Shangri-La, also carries other home theater products like flat TVs in different sizes.
They also sell audio solutions like headphones and portable speakers.
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